


i'll be back in the morning

by fullsunshine



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, F/F, F/M, Gen, Going with the flow, Heavy Angst, I'm Sorry, Jeno Is Emo, M/M, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, We're Rolling With The Punches, do not sexualize the dreamies, fluff?, i'll tag as we go along, it be like that sometimes, maybe? - Freeform, this shit happened to me irl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-09-28 11:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17181851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullsunshine/pseuds/fullsunshine
Summary: all jeno ever wanted for jaemin was him to be happy. he didn't know it would hurt this bad.





	1. the inevitable

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! this is my first fic and im a little nervous about it. the story is based on a experience i had that wasn't very fun for me and im mainly writing this to get all of me emotions out skdjfnsjdf. please leave feedback and tell me what you think! 
> 
> i hope you like it~~~

The air smelled of sweat, asbestos, and public high school lunch food that was the definition of stale. You could expect nothing more from the cafeteria of SM High School, where dreams go to die. In the corner hidden from all the chaos, next to the largest window, sat a group of five boys. Senior year had just begun for four of them and the students had already developed a severe case of senioritis. Jeno and his three best friends were only a week into the year and all of them already had the strong urge to drop out.

“Are you gonna eat that?” the boy furthest from the window asked, the sunlight barely hitting his rust colored hair.

“What the fuck does it look like?” Jisung, Jeno’s younger brother and in the grade below the four, snapped back in response.

The blonde hair boy raised the sandwich back to his mouth only to have it snatched away so fast, if he blinked he would have missed it.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you.”

For having such a small frame and the most adorable cheeks, the whole group knew how scary their maknae could get when he was mad.

Donghyuck fled the table in fear, leaving the rest of the group to watch the scene unfold before them, trying to hold back giggles. The short, but entertaining, chase had ended after the two boys were soon scolded by one of the administrators monitoring the lunch hour.

“You guys are idiots,” Jaemin said trying to conceal his grin. The honey colored haired boy was resting his head on Jeno’s shoulder. The two had just met sophomore year but in the short span of time that they knew each other they had become extremely close. The cause of the extreme closeness may or may not have been the elder’s teensy little crush on the younger but of course he didn’t like to admit it.

Donghyuck snorted, “you literally have no room to talk about being an idiot.”

The boy pouted in response and looked up at his best friend.

 _Oh my god stop being so cute before I cry_ Jeno thought to himself as he made eye contact.

Okay so maybe the crush he had developed wasn’t so little. Jeno had been in love with Jaemin ever since he had laid eyes on him for the first time that one day their sophomore year. The then 16 year old Jeno was walking his usual route to school when he heard a moving truck. Not paying much mind to it, as him and Jisung got new neighbors almost every year, the boy kept walking with his head down until he heard a shout. Jaemin had been yelling out of the front door for his mother. Startled by the sudden noise, Jeno looked up only to meet the eyes of the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. The boy looked about his age and the only thing Jeno could think about was the color of his sparkling eyes. They were a beautiful chocolate brown and as cliche as it was, an interest was sparked in Jeno. The boys didn’t get to properly meet until the next day at school. The beautiful eyed boy had introduced himself as Na Jaemin who had moved from another part of Seoul because of a promotion his mother had received. With all eyes on him, Jaemin looked around to see the only empty seat was next to a sleeping, tall, raven haired boy. He strode toward the boy and quietly tapped his hoodie clad shoulder, startling him. Jeno looked up ready to bark at the person who interrupted his slumber, only to find the same chocolate brown eyes he caught a short glimpse of yesterday.

“Can I sit here?” The boy asked twiddling the hem of his own orange hoodie.

Confused at first, as he usually always was, it took a few seconds for Jeno to sputter out a quiet, but surprisingly stable ‘sure’. The boy offered a smile and Jeno gave one in return.

Jaemin hadn’t changed much since that day. He still had the same smile, oh my god that smile. The one that made Jeno’s heart flutter and his blood pump. He also was still the same charismatic boy that loved to sing and dance, always humming a song or tapping his feet to the beat of whatever was playing in his ear buds. The only thing that did change was Jeno’s feelings for the other. Instead of wanting to be friends with the boy, he wanted to be more. So much more. But sadly, the world was a cruel place and limited the status of their relationship to best friends.

_Best friends._

God. Jeno hated those two words together with everything in him.

“Tell them I’m not an idiot,” Jaemin whined, snapping Jeno out of his thoughts. He still had that stupidly cute pout on his face.

_Stay strong Jeno. Just stop looking at his dumb face._

_Yeah the dumb face that you want to smother in kisses._

He internally cringed at himself and shook the thoughts out of his head. He then diverted his eyes from the younger boy’s (very pretty) face, and smiled.

“I may be your best friend but I’m not going to lie to you,” he finally replied.

The table erupted into another fit of laughter, earning Jeno a couple of high fives and Jaemin huffing in dissatisfaction. He lifted his head off of the boy’s broad shoulder and turned around with his arms crossed.

“You’re such a baby Nana,” Jisung teases through a mouth full of sandwich.

It was Jaemin’s turn to snort.

“Now YOU have no room to be talking about being a baby. You’re like 7 what are you even doing here.”

“I’M ONE GRADE BELOW YOU GUYS.”

“Aww you’re so cute when you’re mad, do you want some banana milk?” Jaemin asks, sliding the carton across the table.

“Ooo yes please,” Jisung squealed.

Jaemin rolled his eyes muttering about how he had proved his point. He felt something poke his side.

“I’m sorry I don’t give out banana milk to TRAITORS,” the boy dramatically said, arms still crossed against his chest.

“Please Nana don’t be like that,” Jeno sings as he back hugs the boy, snuggling his nose into his neck.

“Oh my god ew get off of me,” Jaemin protests, which only results in a tighter hug.

“Okay OKAY FINE. Take the milk before I change my mind.”

“You’re the best.”

“Yeah yeah whatever.”

“I love you”

“I love you too I guess”

The phrase makes Jeno’s heart stop. Of course he knew the other meant it in a completely platonic way, but he couldn’t help himself. Anything the boy did or said made his heart stop, his palms sweaty, and his head dizzy.

_I’m so whipped._

“Hello? Earth to Lee Jeno,” Mark, Donghyuck’s boyfriend of three years said. His snapping fingers were waving in front of Jeno’s eyes, bringing him out of his thoughts once again.

“Are you okay? You keep zoning out.” A look of concern developed on Mark’s face.

“I’m good. Just thinking about what I’m gonna do when I get home,” he smoothly replied.

The look of concern stayed etched in his eyes until he realized where they were. Mark was the only other person in their group of friends who had knowledge about Jeno’s painful crush. He had actually found out on accident. He had thrown a party last summer and caught Jeno on his balcony, alone, nursing a bottle of vodka while mumbling to himself.

“Hey dude are you good? Do you need me to call someone?” Mark asked, worry evident in his voice.

“Why doesn’t Nana love me?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Mark? Why doesn’t Nana love me?” Jeno whispered in a tiny voice.

“What do you mean Jeno of course Nana loves you! He’s your best friend,” Mark replied not knowing what was happening. He had dealt with drunk Jeno more than once but he had never seen him emotional like this. What made it worse was when he looked down to see tears streaming down Jeno’s face.

Mark started to panic. Never in the seven years that he knew Jeno had he ever seen him cry (except for when they watched Coco and Jeno didn’t think anyone was looking). Everyone knew that Lee Jeno was never one to show such an emotion. He was always happy, laughing, and showcasing that famous eye smile everyone knew and loved.

“Mark. Nana doesn’t love me like I love him,” he stutters through his sobs. Pieces clicked together in Mark’s head as he had finally figured out what was happening in front of him. His heart couldn’t help but break a little bit for his friend. Although he couldn’t exactly relate to what the heartbroken boy was going through, he did his best to comfort him.

Forgetting about the party, the two friends had stayed on the balcony together the whole night, Mark letting Jeno tell him everything. He told him about how he wanted to have Jaemin as his own, about how he got jealous every time a girl or a boy would stare at his best friend and giggle timidly. He expressed how he knew Jaemin would never date him and how much it hurt his heart knowing that his love would forever go unrequited. Both of the boys knew he wouldn’t remember anything he said in the morning but at least he got it out of his system for the time being. From then on, Mark had promised to keep the whole ordeal a secret and had become the only person that Jeno could rant to whenever he needed. Because of that Jeno was truly, and eternally, grateful for a friend like him.

“What’re you thinking about doing?” Mark said with ease, happiness masking his worry.

“I think I’m gonna go down to the studio. Haven’t seen Taeyong and Ten in a while,” Jeno replied.

Taeyong and Ten were two best friends who ran one of the best dance companies in Seoul. They were both self taught and highly admired by everyone all over town. Jeno, and anyone with a couple of brain cells, definitely understood why. The men were extremely nice, sometimes almost too nice, and welcomed everyone with open arms. Jeno had been dancing at the studio ever since he was 13, making it five years since he started.

To say Jeno loved dancing was an understatement. Jeno lived to dance. It was like a second nature to him. To be immersed in a piece of music, focusing on nothing else but the beat pumping through the speakers, was something he could never get tired of. At first it started off as a hobby, but as he grew better and better it became a passion and the only constant in the boy’s life. It helped him relieve stress and it especially cleared his mind, letting him forget about whatever shitty thing was happening at the moment. Whether it be a failed test or if he was just having a bad day. These days however, ever since he realized that his crush on Jaemin wouldn’t be going away anytime soon, he had been practicing extra hard, dancing anytime he knew he was free.

“Oh shit can I come too? I haven’t seen my dads in a minute,” Jisung mumbled through the straw in his mouth. The kid was always chewing on something, a habit that had developed when he was little.

“I don’t think so brat. It’s your turn to do the laundry tonight and if you don't, moms gonna be pissed,” Jeno scolded.

“I bet Mark hyung would let me go. He’s a better brother than you and he’s not even my brother,” the younger pouted.

“Leave me out of your family drama man,” Mark muttered.

The two brothers continued bickering until the bell sounded, dismissing the students to their next class. All five boys scrambled to their feet, throwing away their trash. They exchanged their goodbyes and see you laters before heading off to their third period. Jeno hums the song that has been stuck in his head all day as he sulks to the class he hated the most, history. The boy doesn’t know why he disliked the subject so deeply. Maybe it was the boring teachers he always ends up with, how none of his friends were ever in his class, or just his overall disinterest in the content they are forced to learn. All Jeno knows is, ever since he was a kid, he has despised the subject. As a result of the disinterest that resided in him, Jeno spent a majority of the class asleep.

“Want me to walk with you?”

Jeno whipped around to find Jaemin standing behind him, his breath getting caught in his throat.

_What the fuck are you so beautiful for? You’re literally just standing in the middle of this dusty ass hallway and you’re fucking g l o w i n g._

Shaking his head at his own thoughts, Jeno realized he had not answered the other yet.

“I don’t know if you noticed Na but I think I’m big enough to get there on my own,” Jeno teases.

A look of sadness flashes across Jaemin’s face, barely there but long enough for Jeno to catch it. His heart immediately sinks to his stomach. Jeno hadn’t meant to make the other sad. His main intention was to distance himself from the other in hopes of distinguishing the massive crush he had on him. Jeno knew it wouldn’t do him any good if he continued to dwell on the crush. He knew if he remained close with Jaemin, he would inevitably end up getting hurt.

But Jaemin was his best friend and he couldn’t hurt him and he definitely couldn't say no to those puppy dog eyes.

“I’m just kidding loser, hurry up before we’re late,” Jeno hurriedly says before Jaemin would think that he was trying to be rude. Jeno could never be rude to him.

“Since when does Lee Jeno care about being late to history class?” Jaemin says, reverting back to his usual playful manner.

Jeno just rolls his eyes and starts toward the classroom located on the other side of the school. Damn whoever made his schedule.

The two boys stride in a comfortable silence. The thing about the two is that they were complete opposites (cliche I know), with Jeno being more reserved and closed off, choosing to watch rather than participate, while Jaemin was extremely extroverted and sociable, always the life of the party. However, despite being so different, the boys completed each other, their personalities instantly clicking. When they first met, it was as if they had been waiting for each other to meet all their lives. When people thought of Lee Jeno, Na Jaemin was attached.

 

And maybe that's why Jeno fell so hard.


	2. avoidance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! omg its been a while im sorry for not updating sooner i have just had A LOT of stuff going on in the past months but im back now :)))) 
> 
> this chapter is short but i hope you enjoy it!! <3

As per usual, Jeno was asleep in history class. The droning sound of his teacher’s horribly monotone voice drifting into one ear and out the next. Jeno fully believed that based on his dull manner and lack of enthusiasm, his teacher hated being there almost as much as all of the students who were forced to endure the class.    
  
“Okay heads up everyone. I know half of you are probably asleep. Especially Mr. Lee right there,” Mr. Kim, the teacher called out.    
  
A great number of the students threw glances toward Jeno’s seat, snickering at the immobile figure. The drowsy boy was obviously oblivious to the attention.    
  
“Now I am aware that all of you don’t particularly enjoy me just standing up here and lecturing, especially since we just started the school year and you’re all seniors waiting to escape this building for good”   
  
Murmurs of agreement sounded throughout the room   
  
“That is why, as an introduction to the year, I am assigning you a partner project.”   
  
A chorus of groans echoed throughout the desks, waking Jeno up from his nap.    
  
“Okay calm down, don’t get too excited,” the man said, rolling his eyes at the teenagers.   
  
“The topic of the project can be about anything you want. As long as it has to do with history. So no you can’t do your project on why you think the Earth is flat or anything not fit for the classroom. I’m looking at you Wooseok.” Another chorus of giggles cued from the class.   
  
“Alright, I already see some of you losing interest in what I have to say once again. So, pick your partners and come up to write down what you’re going to do yours on.”   
  
The sounds of desks scraping against the floor filled the air as best friends partnered up to discuss the project. Dazed from his short slumber, the raven haired boy looked up from his desk in confusion. Everyone was moving around and of course he had no idea what happening. He tapped the boy next to him. Huang Renjun.   
  
“Hey dude what’s happening?” Jeno asked, a slight rasp in his voice from the sleep.   
  
The boy giggled in response, his slight dimples showing. Jeno had to admit, Renjun was cute.    
  
The two boys had been in the same class for five years, ever since Renjun had moved to Seoul from China as a result of his mother’s business expansion. Jeno remembers the tiny boy timidly introducing himself in broken Korean while looking down at the ground, messing with his hands. His brown hair, small frame, and snaggletooth caught everyone’s attention, deeming him as adorable. Jeno, at the time, had never seen such a small boy the same age as him. He remembers asking if the other had skipped a grade and was bewildered to find out that he was younger than him. Even though they had been in the same class for a somewhat lengthy amount of time, the two boys were never close, Jeno choosing to hang out with Donghyuck, Jaemin, Mark, and Jisung, while Renjun typically hung around the band of Chinese students that were enrolled at the school, a band of around eight other students ranging from a freshman to a couple of seniors.    
  
“Wow how do you even have the ability to fall asleep every class,” Renjun laughed.    
  
“It’s a talent of mine I’ve been working on since I was a kid,” Jeno smiled back, his eyes forming crescents.    
  
“Well you’re obviously really good at it. We’re doing a partner project on anything that happened in history,” the red haired boy explained.    
  
Already groaning at the thought of a whole project at the beginning of the school year, Jeno closed his eyes.    
  
“Don’t go falling asleep again, I can tell Kim is already annoyed by it,” Renjun warns, a playful tone in his voice.    
  
Jeno pushes out a small laugh, muffled by his arm he has his head resting on.    
  
__ The universe is really testing me today.    
  
The boy finally musters up enough energy to lift his head and look around the classroom, his eyes searching for a partner. Of course the world had the curse him with no friends in his class.    
He continues searching until his eyes return to the boy next to him. The only one without a partner.    
  
“Hey, do you want to be partners?” Jeno somewhat shyly asks.    
  
“Seeing that both of us don’t have friends in this class and you look desperate, yeah sure,” Renjun teases.    
  
Mouth agape, Jeno splutters a response.    
  
“-I am NOT desperate, YOU look desperate,” he stutters.   
  
“Easy there tiger, I was just messing with you,” he lets out a loud laugh, “promise to not fall asleep while we work on this?”   
  
“You’re asking for a lot.”   
  
By the time class is over, the two boys had gotten nothing done, playfully bickering and talking the entire time.    
  
“Well I think this was a very productive session. We make a great team,” Jeno says, chuckling in between his words.   
  
“If we keep this up, we’re obviously not going to finish with the class time he gives us. Give me your number so we can work on it outside of school,” the smaller boy more demands than requests.    
  
“Oh wow Injun, took you long enough to make a move. I knew you had an interest in me.”   
  
“I will break your knee caps.”   
  
“Can you even reach them?”   
  
Renjun launches his body at Jeno, hands flying to hit his chest. For being so small, his fists could really punch.   
  
“Oh my god oh my god ow okay calm down,” the taller boy exclaims, holding the place he struck, feigning injury.    
  
“Holy shit you’re like an angry little baby full of rage.”   
  
“I regret agreeing to be your partner already.”   
  
The two boys exchange numbers properly before the bell rings, dismissing them to their last class of the day. With a smile etched onto his face, Jeno headed off to the only class he shared with Jaemin, plus their free periods, English. If this were any other school year, Jeno would be devastated he only shared one class with his best friend. But of course things change, feelings change. Jeno thought the universe was for once on his side when he compared schedules with the other and learned that they would be only in the same class once every other day. With the little progress Jeno made with his plan to distance himself from Jaemin, this would for sure help.    
  
“What’s got you so smiley? You’re usually pissed your daily nap was interrupted by the bell.”    
  
Jaemin slides into his desk next to Jeno’s, nearly missing the bell.    
  
It was true. The older was usually grumpy by the time he made it to English class, mad his slumber was cut short by the horrible ringing and having to walk after just waking up. But not today. Talking and goofing off with Renjun had made his day 10 times better than usual.    
  
“Nothing. Can’t a guy just be happy?”    
  
“Oh my god Emo Jeno is happy?? This is historic!! Everyone! Mark your calendars!”    
  
“Whatever you idiot,” Jeno says, playfully pushing him away. Even the slightest touch to Jaemin sent sparks running through us whole body. And as routine, Jeno ignored the sensation.    
  
_Ignore, ignore, ignore. As if that’ll solve all your problems._   
  
Jeno cursed his own thoughts for being right but continued to completely ignore the feelings welling up inside of him, slightly overwhelming him in the small classroom.    
__   
_Ignore, ignore, ignore._   
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!   
> you can follow me on twitter @fullssfics


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